Any designers out there who can advise me how to work with my designer?

[brokenrecord]

I asked someone whose work I liked (found her online)to work with me to design a logo for my business. I feel we aren't getting anywhere really and would like advice on how to talk to her constructively to get what I want, or how to find a way to finish the relationship and pay her fairly for her time, while at the same time not paying full price to get nothing I can use....

Could you ask to see some ideas or suggest a date that she should get the ideas to you?

I'm only a designer in training so not sure how it works either.

Have you seen any ideas yet? What is it that's not working? How much time have you spent with her? Did you give her a detailed brief? Hard to advise you without knowing this stuff...

I work with print designers (am an editor) and it starts with a conversation about what I want, for what purpose and audience, what sort of thing is currently fashionable (for want of a better word), what other organisations/publications are doing. I work with the designer and the client to come up with a detailed brief, then it's a process of batting ideas back and forth.

Presumably you need to think about what message your logo conveys about your business..?

You need to point out to her exactly what it is about her work that you like and how you'd like it to be used on your logo.

eg 'I like the colours on that design, and I think the way the curve on this one sweeps round looks really good. I don't want too many squares or hard edges but I want the design to look informal and organic and not too businessy.'.....or whatever you want for your particular logo.

You can never give too much information. There's nothing worse than a client who says 'I don't know what I want but I'll know it when I see it'. Where am I supposed to go with that???

You picked her cos you liked her work. You just need to find a way for it to work for you.

Thanks. The problem is that I don't really like what she has come up with, and although I've tried to give detailed and helpful feedback, the next designs seem similar and I don't like them any more than the first. I appreciate it could be at least partly my fault, but other people i've shown them too don't like them either, and I feel that a design that represents you should be attractive to people.

I really don't know where to go from here.

X posted with everyone. It's tricky, because I want a script type font, but have been getting very girly twirly ones as ideas, and I have said clearly 'no more twirls' but the last ones were as twirly as ever. Am I being unreasonable?

Perhaps you could have a look around online to see other businesses that convey the style you like and send the links across to your desingner, then you can visualise what style you have got in your mind iyswim? It will also help the designer to move away from what she already has done.

YANBU at all, I was just asking because it was hard to reply without more information.

Fair enough to go elsewhere if you don't like her stuff. Make sure as Q&A says you give the next one examples of things you do - and very importantly don't - like.

Was she charging you a day rate or a sum for the job? Per day is obviously easier to work out if you are ending early. I'd ask her to tot up how much time she's spent on this work and make sure you feel it's reasonable, then work out a sum to cover that.

(Oh, and Cuppa's post is exactly the sort of conversation you should be having with whatever designer you use.)

Thanks again. I have done that too. I feel there isn't enough 'batting about' of ideas perhaps. I initiated saying what my brand was about, which worried me to start with, then if I describe things I like, I get no verbal discussion, just another possible design (there have been about three - though some had variations.)

I also feel bad saying I don't like them, although I feel ok describing aspects of them that I don't like and specifically asking for something different. To be honest, I don't feel that we are making any progress and I hate the whole process more and more. It's not as if there is anything coming together that I can even say I like and build on.

X posted again! I'll just read your reply and answer....

Ok. It was a sum for the job. Is about £300.

Sounds like it really isn't working and you are quite right to end the project now.

How much would you feel comfortable paying her for the time she's spent so far? Because obviously you aren't happy with her work, she hasn't delivered the finished product, so you don't want to pay the full whack... £300 is quite cheap though, that may be the problem.

Hmm. That's useful to know that it's cheap. I didn't know what the going rate was. I was going to offer half, but would be interested to hear what you or anyone thinks about that. I don't have a huge budget, but I don't want to stiff a fellow artist either.

Interesting posts here. I have had my logo designed for less than 300. It was 150 - I was very specific on what I wanted though. I am very happy with it.

I think the suggestion to find other logos that you like would be a constructive way forward. Or possibly to ask her to come up with something "completely different" and see if you can start afresh from a different perspective? Sometimes I have had to do that when I can't get what I've visualised to actually work when the designer has come up with something.

HTH?

half sounds fair to me.

Thanks. I've just emailed and suggested that.